On-vehicle tracking control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10134282-B2
Application number	US-201313772844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2013
Priority date	Feb 23, 2012
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A tracking control apparatus for tracking a preceding vehicle includes information acquiring unit for acquiring information about surrounding the own vehicle, preceding vehicle determining unit for determining the preceding vehicle running ahead of the own vehicle, control unit controls the tracking control to be maintained or released, and turn signal determining unit for determining whether or not a turn signal of a turn signal unit of the preceding vehicle is active. The control unit maintains or releases the tracking control by determining the surrounding of the own vehicle concerning a traffic lane change by the preceding vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the turn signal determining unit determines that the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tracking control apparatus mounted on an own vehicle for performing a tracking control of a preceding vehicle, the tracking control apparatus comprising:
an information acquiring unit acquiring information about surroundings of the own vehicle, the information acquiring unit including a preceding vehicle determining unit determining the preceding vehicle running ahead of the own vehicle;
a control unit controlling the tracking control of the preceding vehicle determined by the preceding vehicle determining unit, the control unit controlling the tracking control to be maintained or released, the tracking control being performed by controlling a travelling speed and a steering of the own vehicle; and
a turn signal determining unit determining whether or not a turn signal of a turn signal unit of the preceding vehicle is active, wherein
the control unit is configured to maintain or release the tracking control by taking into account the surroundings of the own vehicle concerning a traffic lane change by the preceding vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the turn signal determining unit determines that the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active;
the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control when the turn signal determining unit determines the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active and determines that the surroundings of the own vehicle indicate that a change of a running direction of the preceding vehicle is prevented based on the information about the surroundings of the own vehicle acquired by the information acquiring unit;
the information acquiring unit includes an adjacent vehicle determining unit determining whether or not the surroundings of the own vehicle include an adjacent vehicle running parallel to the preceding vehicle exists, the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control when the turn signal determining unit determines the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active and the adjacent vehicle determining unit determines that the adjacent vehicle exists, the adjacent vehicle preventing the traffic lane change by the preceding vehicle; and
the information acquiring unit includes a lateral vehicle determining unit determining whether or not a lateral vehicle running parallel to the own vehicle exists and determining whether or not the lateral vehicle is running faster than the own vehicle, and the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control when the turn signal determining unit determines that the turn signal of the turn signal unit of the preceding vehicle is active and the lateral vehicle determining unit determines that the lateral vehicle exists and is running faster than the own vehicle, thereby determining that the traffic lane change by the preceding vehicle is disturbed based on the turn signal determining unit determining that the turn signal of the turn signal unit of the preceding vehicle is active and the lateral vehicle determining unit determining that the lateral vehicle exists and is running faster than the own vehicle.

2. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information acquiring unit includes a traffic lane identifying unit identifying a traffic lane where the own vehicle runs, and the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control when the preceding vehicle changes the traffic lane identified by the traffic lane identifying unit to an other traffic lane.

3. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the information acquiring unit includes a running path estimation unit estimating a running path of the preceding vehicle, and the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control while the preceding vehicle is within the traffic lane where the own vehicle runs, based on the running path estimated by the running path estimation unit, the running path estimation unit estimating the running path before the preceding vehicle changes the traffic lane.

4. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit is configured to release the tracking control when the preceding vehicle changes the traffic lane and moves towards a ramp way direction.

5. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a route searching unit searching a traveling route from a current location of the own vehicle to a destination, wherein the control unit is configured to maintain the tracking control when the traveling route searched by the route searching unit is towards the ramp way direction even when the preceding vehicle moves towards the ramp way direction.

6. The tracking control apparatus according claim 2 , wherein
the information acquiring unit includes a lateral vehicle detecting unit detecting whether or not a lateral vehicle running parallel to the own vehicle on an adjacent traffic lane exists, and the control unit is configured to release the tracking control when the preceding vehicle changes the traffic lane and the lateral vehicle detecting unit detects the lateral vehicle exists.

7. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an intention determining unit determining driver's intention, and the control unit is configured to release the tracking control when the preceding vehicle changes the traffic lane and the intention determining unit determines that the driver intends to release the tracking control.

8. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the turn signal determining unit is configured to determine whether or not the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active based on at least one of a position of the turn signal unit, a pattern of flashing and a color of the turn signal unit.

9. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a tracking apparatus used for the tracking control.

10. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tracking control of the preceding vehicle operates when the own vehicle is running on an expressway having a slow lane and a fast lane.

11. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjacent vehicle determining unit determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle is located adjacent the preceding vehicle.

12. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit determines that the change of the running direction is prevented due to the existence of the adjacent vehicle.

13. The tracking control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that the change of the running direction is prevented due to the existence of the adjacent vehicle.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Tsuruta Tomohiko
• Tominaga Motonori
• Ueda Yusuke
• Hatoh Takeshi

Classifications

• G08G1/166 Primary

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• B60W30/16 Primary

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title